Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam, 2019

Moghaddam, Masumeh & Watson, Gillian W., 2024, The Scale Insects Of Iran (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) Part 3 The Soft Scales (Coccidae) And Other Families, Zootaxa 5542 (1), pp. 1-202 : 129-131

Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam

( Fig. 59 , Plate 4B , distribution map Fig. 93C )

Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam, 2019: 454 .

Field characteristics: Found on upper leaf surfaces. Live adult female oval, body contents dark green; ovisac white, rounded, completely covering body.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female oval. Antennae each with 7 segments. Frontal lobes and frontal tubercles absent. Legs well developed; hind coxa with fewer than 5 translucent pores, but with scattered spinulae; tibiae each with 5 setae, with median seta present; tarsal and claw digitules slightly knobbed and longer than claw; claw with a denticle. Anal lobes well developed, dorsum of each lobe with 3 enlarged setae and 3 or 4 microtubular ducts. Anal ring with a partial double row of pores and bearing 8 robust setae. Cauda absent.

Dorsum with enlarged setae all spine-like with pointed apices, forming transverse rows across each segment, reaching to margins. Margin of abdominal segment VII with 2 lateral enlarged setae on each side. Macrotubular ducts all of 1 size, present throughout. Microducts distributed throughout.

Venter with normal hair-like setae of various sizes, scattered on median and submedian areas of segments; enlarged setae, same size as those on dorsum, present in a broad band on margins and submargins. Quinquelocular pores sparsely distributed on thorax, and forming rows across abdominal segments I–VIII+IX. Disc-pores absent. Trilocular pores numbering 2 or 3, present singly near each anterior spiracle and hind coxa. Macrotubular ducts similar to those on dorsum, forming a submarginal band and present in medial areas. Microducts present in a regular arrangement throughout. Cruciform pores absent.

Distribution: Rhizococcus asperulae has been recorded only from Iran, Markazi province (Moghaddam 2019).

Host-plants: The scale was found on Asperula glomerata ( Rubiaceae ) (Moghaddam 2019).

Economic importance: Not known as a pest in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.

Figures

PLATE 4. Eriococcidae: A, Anophococcus abaii (Danzig); B, Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam; C, Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam; D, Rhizococcus borchsenii (Danzig); Kermesidae: E, Kermes quercus (Linnaeus); F, Kermes spatulatus Balachowsky; G, Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer. Monophlebidae: H, Gueriniella serratulae (Fabricius).

FIGURE 59. Adult female of Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam, from Moghaddam (2019), page 456, fig. 3. © Magnolia Press, www.mapress.com/j/zt, reproduced with permission from the author and the copyright holder.

FIGURE 93. Distribution maps of scale insect species in Iran covered in this work. A, Pulvinaria urbicola Cockerell; B, Pulvinaria vitis (Linnaeus); C, Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam; D, Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam; E, Rhizococcus borchsenii Danzig; F, Rhizococcus istresianus (Goux); G, Rhizococcus reynei (Schmutterer); H, Rhizococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius); I, Rhizopulvinaria artemisiae (Signoret); J, Rhizopulvinaria turkestanica (Archangelskaya); K, Saissetia coffeae (Walker); L, Saissetia miranda (Cockerell & Parrott); M, Saissetia oleae (Olivier); N, Sphaerolecanium prunastri (Boyer de Fonscolombe); O, Stotzia ephedrae (Newstead).